Questions raised on 'huffing' after college student in Claremont dies

By Wes Woods II

Friday, May 24, 2013

CLAREMONT -- Law enforcement officials said inhaling nitrous oxide - which apparently killed a Claremont McKenna College student last week - is becoming abused by more and more people seeking a high, especially teens and young adults.

Ali Wallace Mirza, 19, was pronounced dead about 2 a.m. Friday at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. Police officers reportedly found used nitrous oxide containers, also known as whippets, that are used in the food-preparation industry. Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is also used as an anesthetic in medical settings.

Los Angeles County sheriff's Capt. Michael Parker said Wednesday "we have found the abuse of nitrous oxide is very prevalent" among people under 21.

Veronica De Alba, a deputy city attorney for Los Angeles, said Mirza's death is not an isolated incident.

"Unfortunately, we're seeing usage on the rise in California, especially in Southern California," De Alba said.

Young adults "don't think they'll do it like a drug and it won't cause them long-term harm. They just aren't aware. In fact, the usage of whippets in some studies a few years back likened it to be as strong as persons drawn to cocaine. The usage pattern is, people will take it more often to chase the high, so to speak. There's the high risk of cardiac arrest. Their bodies can't control the impurities that are taken in. It's not like nitrous like in a dentist that is filtered with oxygen and is clean. This is not medical-grade nitrous."

Parker declined to speak about Mirza's case but said he learned of it through a Google alert. "I was just thinking, 'Wow, another one. This is not uncommon,'" Parker said.

The captain said his understanding is that the high lasts two to five minutes.

"That's when you huff balloons. They'll huff multiple balloons. Get high, come down. It deprives the body of oxygen. Oxygen deprivation can lead to death. It can also cause brain damage and loss of consciousness. Huffing a balloon, you can lose consciousness and crash a car or fall off a balcony. "

Besides death or injuries, other consequences of inhaling nitrous oxide for individuals are auto accidents or being sexually assaulted, Parker said.

Harvey Weiss, the executive director for the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition in Chattanooga, Tenn., said inhaling is "an issue on college campuses and young adults. "

Weiss said at rock concerts people will sometimes inhale from latex balloons.

"It seems to be more of a problem with people beyond high school as well as for people at rock concerts and things like that," Weiss said.

De Alba said California is lagging in introducing legislation to safeguard young adults from huffing.

"Early youth to young adults tend to abuse," De Alba said. "I think it's just because they're not aware. I think there's a need for further legislation coupled with renewed prevention awareness. "

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on March 22 arrested three people and executed 26 search warrants as part of a federal criminal investigation into the improper sale of nitrous oxide, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney's Office.

Parker said the 15-month investigation, dubbed "Operation No Laughing Matter," had caused a dent in the availability of nitrous oxide.

"Now it's underground. Prior to the warrants, it was open and sold. People involved in those businesses are out of business. Now it's sold like another drug. We can tell based on open discussions on social media about drug parties. It's decreased dramatically in the L.A. County Sheriff's Department area. "

Paul Chabot, the founder of Rancho Cucamonga-based Inland Valley Drug Free Community Coalition, said the problem is not a new one.

"At the age of 12 when I was in drug rehab for marijuana, I witnessed other kids in my program using nitrous and getting very sick," Chabot said in an email Wednesday. "This was 27 years ago. The problem is not new. Despite recent and massive arrests in Los Angeles last month of the illegal sale of nitrous oxide, where more 20 federal search warrants were served and more than $20 million of nitrous oxide was seized, nitrous is readily available, legally from medical facilities and the auto repair industry. "

On Wednesday, Claremont McKenna spokeswoman Alissa Stedman said the college is focusing on assisting the family. A memorial service for Mirza will be held in the fall.